Yieldable gate



J. P. FRANCIS YIELDABLE GATE Filed Jan. 6, 1925 L INVENTOR.

Patented J 22, 1924.

} -lTED STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

JQSEPE P. FRANCIS, OF OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA.

YIELDABLE GATE.

Application filed January 6, 1928. Serial No. 611,088.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn P. F Nels, a citizen of the Uni-ted States, residing at Oklahoma Chg, in the county of Oklahoma and State of klahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Yieldable Gates, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to gates and more particularly to a vertically yieldable gate constructed in such manner that an automobile or like vehicle may pass thereover without requiring the driver of the same to dismount or to manipulate the gate in any manner whatever, the gate returning to closed position after the passage of the vehicle thereover.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a gate of the character described constructed in such manner that it may be opened by hand to permit the passage of stock or persons therethrough without the necessity of flexing the gate.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a gate constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the construction of th parts adjacent the free end of the gate;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the construction 0 the parts adjacent the (1 end of the gate;

1g. 4 is a fragmentary view upon an enlarged scale illustrating in side elevation thed parts at the opposite ends of the gate; an i Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the gate swings upon the are of a circle in either direction.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

In the drawing 5 and 6 designate gate posts and 7 the wire strands constituting a fence. The space between the posts 5 and 6 is closed by a gate made up of a plurality of flexible (preferably steel) panels 8. These panels are riveted. or otherwise secured attheir lower ends to a steel bar ,9 which extends between the posts 5 and 6 and lies close to the ground. This bar has engagement, adjacent the post 6, with an eye 10 of a bolt 11, said bolt turn in the post 6. A rod of inverted U shape' mdlcated at 12 is secured to the end of the bar 9 and projects vertically therefrom and its looped upper end coacts with a hook 1?; that is carriedby the post 6. At its opposite end the bar 9 is provided with an operating handle 14 which projects upwardly therefrom. By properly manipulatmg the gate through the medium of the handle 14, the loop 12 may be engaged with the hook 13 which will result in the gate belng hinged at such point of engagement and at the eye 10 and the gate may be swung open by hand, in the usual way, to permit stock or persons to pass therethrough. Under such conditions as these there is no flexing of the steel panels 8 of the gate. Springs 15 extend between the U-shaped member 12 and the outer end 16 of a bar 17 which is secured to the lower ortion of the post 6 and these springs tend to maintain the bar 9 in an upright position but permit the bar to be forced over to a. substantially horizontal position under certain circumstances as presently set forth. The opposite end being mounted to of the bar 9 has a seating in a vertical slot 18 of a block 19, said block being pivoted by a bolt or stud 20 in the lower portion of the post 5. Springs 21 are connected at their inner ends to the block 19 and at their outer ends to a' bar 22 which is secured to the post 5. These springs tend to maintain the block in an upright position but permit the same yielding movement of the bar 9 hereinbefore referred to.

Normally, the gate is left in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, i. e., the loop 12 of the U shaped member 12 is disengaged from the hook 13 and, under these circumstances, if a motor Vehicle approaches the gate and comes into contact with the same the yielding steel panels 8 will give and the springs 15 and 21 will be flexed to permit the gate as a, Whole to move from the vertical position illustrated in Fig. 1 to a substantially horizontal position, so that the vehicle may pass thereover without requiring the driver to dismount. After the paage of the vehicle, the parts will resume their former position and act to prevent the passage of stock through the opening between the posts 5 and 6, but will be ready to again repeat the yielding operation when a vehicle approaches from either direction.

Having described my invention, What I claim is:

1. A gate of the character described comprising a longitudinally extending bar, a plurality of yieldable. panels extending therefrom, means for mounting said bar to swing. spring means tending to maintain said bar in a vertical position and detachable engaging means between the free end of said bar ahd a portion of the. spring means.

2. A gate of the character described comprising a longitudinally extending bar, a plurality of spring steel panels upstanding therefrom. a vertically slotted element with is which the free end of said bar has engagement, spring means tending to maintain said vertically slotted element in upright position and detachable. hinge constituting elements bet-Ween the opposite end of said bar and an adjacent; post.

3. A structure as recited in claim 2 wherein said detachable hingeconstitutiing elements consists of a member upstanding from said bar and a hook carried by said post with which said member is adapted to engage.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JOSEPH P. FRANCIS. 

